Property of the Capitol
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: When she fails to convince Snow that she loves Peeta, Katniss becomes his property. Rated M for some language and allusions to sex.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing.

* * *

She waited.

The bed was soft. The clothes were clean. The food was delicious.

But Katniss Everdeen paid no attention to any of it.

The Victor of the 74th Hunger Games sat alone in a locked room in the middle of the President's Mansion. It was her punishment, Snow had told her. Convince me, he had said long ago. She had to convince him she was in love with her fellow tribute, the boy who escaped the Arena with her. The berries, the berries that had changed their lives, had been seen as an act of defiance against the Capitol, despite her claims that it was love struck madness that fueled her plan.

She hadn't managed to convince the President of her love for Peeta, and for that, she became the property of the Capitol. Snow had the absolute power to do with her as he wished, and she fetched a high price. The Capitol citizens would pay good money to spend the evening with the most talked about Victor since Finnick Odair. Millions were paid by the man who claimed her virginity. But the price dropped each night.

The Girl on Fire was now used goods, and few were willing to shell out the money the President thought he deserved for her. And as the price went down so did the quality of the company. Dirty men and unwashed women came and went from her room each night. Katniss feared for her safety as the weeks and months passed. Seedier patrons meant more twisted urges. Urges that left her with bruised skin and chafed wrists.

Days were spent alone in the room. Servants deposited a breakfast tray before she awoke and cleared it away at lunchtime. Citizens who wanted only her company escorted her through the Capitol, making sure they were photographed with the girl on their arms. Her smiles were rewarded with news from home. Signs of dissidence resulted in being locked up for days without food.

And so she smiled, pretended she loved her life. Her mother and sister were safe, Gale and his family weren't bothered, and Peeta remained unharmed and out of the Capitol's clutches. He had been Snow's original target. Sweet words and a kind smile, he surely would have made his customers much happier than Katniss had. But she refused to let him take the fall for her acts. She was to blame for the nightlock. She was to blame for not loving him well enough. Only she could accept the consequences.

A note had been placed on her nightstand while she slept. When she awoke, her arms and legs were sore, and she refused to stretch to reach it. Nothing good was ever written on the scraps of paper. Orders and ultimatums were all she read and heeded, knowing there was nothing else she could do. With the arrival of lunch and the removal of her uneaten breakfast, Katniss finally pulled herself out of bed and slowly, painfully made her way towards sustenance. Meager rations sat on a silver tray - a small glass of orange juice and a smaller serving of the lamb stew she once loved. A fresh, warm roll was set beside the stew, and she grabbed it and took it back to the bed.

Peeta, she thought as she held it to her nose. There was a time when he had brought her fresh bread everyday, back in her old life in District 12. She had thought so little of it then, but now she wished she had it and him again. Tearing the soft roll in half, she absentmindedly ate as she finally reached for the note.

6:00

Katniss paled. A time but nothing else was written on the small card. There was usually another instruction - wardrobe. Why was there no mention of wardrobe? Whoever bought her for the night either planned to get started right away or humiliate her by parading around her nude form. The Capitol had no laws against public nudity, and more than a few times her most private areas had been on display for all to see.

She had little to do during the day but wait and wonder. Her heart thudded in her chest as the time wound down, nearing the hour when her client would arrive. While she showered, fresh sheets were put on her bed, erasing any signs of the previous night's activities. A small tray of homemade pastry was placed on the table along with a carafe of ice water. The fans in the bathroom took care of her wet hair and body, but she kept a large, fluffy, white towel wrapped around her until it was absolutely necessary to discard it.

Her pounding heart drowned out the ticking of the clock, but her eyes were ever watchful as the hands moved closer and closer to the six and twelve. There was a knock on the door and she tucked the towel beneath the bed before positioning herself in the center. "Come in," she called, hoping she sounded seductive. Instead her voice shook. It always shook when she welcomed in the strangers.

The door opened slowly to reveal tonight's guest. Red cheeks, wavy blond hair, and crystal blue eyes were the first features she saw, and she recognized him instantly. It was the face that filled her best and worst dreams each night.

Peeta Mellark stood in her doorway.

Katniss couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside of her. Leaving the bed, she jumped at him, arms around his neck as he fell back against the door he had just closed. "Oh my god, Peeta," she murmured, pressing her lips to his. Despite his initial shock, he wrapped his arms around her and held her flush against his body. But slowly her senses came back to her and she pulled away. "You...you bought me?" she asked, suddenly feeling betrayed by his presence.

Shaking his head, Peeta pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "Well, yeah, I guess in a way I did," he amended as he led her to the bed. "But not for that."

"Because who would love the Capitol's favorite whore," she muttered.

"Me," he replied simply.

She looked up, gray eyes wide as she took in the loving smile he wore. "I've missed you," she told him.

Peeta pulled her to him until she rested comfortably on his lap. His fingers twirled in her long, brown hair. "What if I told you that you didn't have to miss me anymore?" he asked.

Curiosity and confusion lingered in her eyes as she stared at him, searching for the meaning behind his words. "You can't, Peeta," she whispered. "Don't let him make you one of us."

His hand cupped her face, and Katniss turned to inhale the scent of cinnamon and fresh bread that lingered on his skin. No matter how many times a day he showered, that scent remained. "That's not what I meant," he assured her.

"Well, the pockets on your jacket aren't exactly big enough to smuggle me out of here," she retorted.

Laughing, he fingered the jacket's lapel. "Speaking of clothes, why aren't you wearing any?" he inquired, parting the jacket just enough to see a hint of skin between her breasts. "I'm not complaining or anything. It's just curiosity."

Her face reddened and she pulled the jacket closed once more. "I was instructed to wear nothing," she mumbled, hiding behind a curtain of brown hair.

"Snow's a sick bastard," he replied.

"How much did you pay for me?" she asked.

Peeta tipped his head forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She gave in, glad to feel the familiar lips against hers and the tongue that slipped into her mouth. His hand rested inside the jacket she wore. Rough, callused hands that held her firmly but lovingly. Her own fingers knotted in the hair at the base of his neck. Fine blond curls that wrapped themselves around her fingers as if they belonged there. His lips moved from hers and traced a path from her jaw to ear to neck. Fingers began to work the buttons on his shirt as she laid back and brought him with her.

"Wait," he said huskily just as she finished undoing his shirt.

"Katniss's brows furrowed as she removed the jacket. "What?" she wondered.

"This...we shouldn't," he murmured, despite the fact that his body told otherwise.

She sat back up and pushed his shirt off his shoulders. "What do you think people who pay for me come up here to do?" she wondered, latching onto his neck.

He held her back. "Stop, Katniss," he ordered.

"But...I...I thought you wanted me," she said, feeling an unfamiliar emotion rise up inside of her - rejection. The men and women who entered her room never rejected her. "You bought me for the night. I thought..."

Peeta shook his head. "Do you love me?" he asked. She nodded. "Say it."

A singular tear slipped down her cheek. "I love you, Peeta," she said, pouring all of her emotion into the words. "I've never loved anyone like I love you."

Leaning forward, he kissed her again. "Then let's go," he murmured against her lips. She pulled back, shock and confusion registering on her face. Had he just wanted to hear her declaration before the evening's activities progressed, or had he meant something else. "Get dressed," he clarified. "We're going home."

"I don't understand," she whispered.

"I bought you," he explained. "Not just for the night. I forfeited my winnings for you."

Katniss moved off the bed, betrayal the only emotion she felt as she distanced herself from the boy who had saved her. "So, now I'm your slave?" she asked. "Some slut whose only purpose in life will be to fuck you whenever you want?"

He too rose from the bed and moved over to her. "No, Snow agreed to one condition and one only," he told her. "That you be my wife. He said we would still be entitled to your winnings and we could stay in the Victor's Village."

"So, I marry you and I can go home?" she asked, her voice meek as she reached for him. Peeta nodded. "And I'll never have to do this, any of this, again?"

"That's the deal. In writing. Signed by Snow himself."

She pressed herself against him as tears continued to fall. "Thank you," she whispered against his ear.


	2. Chapter 2

So, I'd intended this to be a one-shot, but the first part got such a great response that I felt the need to write a follow up chapter. So, now it's a two-shot.

* * *

Peeta's bed.

Peeta's house.

Peeta's wife.

Katniss Everdeen owed him her life. He was the reason she was no longer the property of the Capitol, and she should have been grateful to him. But she wasn't. Her time in the Capitol had conditioned her to believe that she had one purpose in life, and Peeta refused to use her that way. Each night since they returned to District 12, she would slip into bed naked. She kissed and caressed and attempted to fondle, but he pushed her away.

"Not tonight," he'd say before rolling over to fall asleep.

Slowly, she slid out of his bed and padded downstairs. If he didn't want her, she decided, then she didn't want him. The fire still burned in the hearth, casting an eerie glow around the living room. It provided just enough warmth, that with a blanket, she wouldn't be cold as she slept. If she could sleep.

Once, her nightmares had been consumed with the atrocities she witnessed as a tribute in the Hunger Games. Rue, Cato, Thresh had appeared night after night. Some nights, she was unable to reach Peeta in time and he died. But her experiences under Snow's control had caused a shift in her subconscious thoughts. Men who tied her to the bed, people who groped and grabbed at her in public, the customers who brought a few friends to their late night get togethers.

Knees drawn to her chest, she rocked back and forth on the floor in front of the dying fire, willing the thoughts to disappear. So lost was she in her own mind that she never heard the footsteps that approached or the groan as Peeta sat down beside her. She didn't feel the cool, cotton material he draped over her bare shoulders, nor did she notice the lips that touched her temple.

"Come back to bed, sweetheart," he softly urged. The rocking stopped, but she didn't speak. "Please, Katniss."

"All I thought about was you," she whispered. "And now you don't want me."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've never heard," he scoffed, getting to his feet. "You know I love you."

She too got to her feet, and in her haste, the shirt he had draped over her fell away. "Snow forced you to do this," she replied. "Don't you get it? This...us...it'll never be about loving each other. It's his way of controlling me, and I hate it!"

Bending down, he picked up the shirt and put it back on her, buttoning it up as he spoke. "Did you not want to marry me?" he asked quietly. "Being with me now...it's just like during the Games. You say you love me because it helps you survive. It helped you survive the Arena, and it got you out of the Capitol. And once again, I'm the dumbest man in Panem for falling for it."

"It wasn't a lie," she murmured, taking a seat on the sofa. "Being there, being in that room with strangers...the things they did and said...it was easier to just close my eyes and pretend it was you. And it was easy when they were kind and gentle. It was easy to imagine they were you. When they got rougher, it stopped. I didn't want to picture you doing those things to me."

Peeta sat down beside her and rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm afraid of hurting you," he admitted.

"How can you hurt me if you won't even touch me?" she interrupted. "Believe me, Peeta, the way you've been acting hurts so much more."

"I'm sorry," he murmured behind his hands.

"Did you even notice the...changes?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice with each word she spoke. His hands fell and he looked her over. "All the hair is gone permanently. Some kind of laser. At first he didn't want me modified. A month later when people were less willing to pay for me, he had my breasts enhanced. I cried for days. They wouldn't give me anything for the pain. I guess they thought I wouldn't be lucid enough to enjoy my other activities. Then came these." She turned and rested one leg on the sofa, exposing her inner thigh. "Snow was furious at first, but he came around. Some tattoo artist bought me one night, and after I passed out, he marked me. Little x's for each man who fucked me so I'd never forget my role."

He touched her leg, tracing his fingers over the neat row of tattoos. "How many?" he asked.

"Seven months, four or five a week," she answered. "They gave me a pill once a month to stop my period so I wouldn't get pregnant."

"But we can get it fixed," he said as a plan formulated in his mind. "Cinna or Portia, they'll know of someone who can get these removed. The implants too, if that's what you want."

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she leaned forward and captured his lips. It was a sweet, gentle kiss, and it spoke of how much she loved him. And just as quickly as she'd kissed him, she pulled away. "I'd like that," she murmured. "But can I have the morphling this time? I have a feeling it'll hurt like hell."

"I'll call Cinna tomorrow morning," he promised. "Now, can we please go back to bed? We're okay now?"

He rose to his feet and extended a hand to her. Katniss eyed it briefly as she fiddled with her shirtsleeves. "Um, there is one more thing," she replied as she looked down at her lap. "Can you show me what it feels like to make love?"

When he didn't reply, she glanced up through wet lashes and continued, "I'm sorry. After everything I've done I don't expect you to want to."

"There's something I need to make sure you understand before anything happens between us," he stated, bending down in front of her. "I didn't spend my winnings on you so I could own you. It was so you'd be free of that place and that life. I've seen the way you walk on eggshells around here, like you aren't comfortable living here. If you're not happy living here because you think of it as _my_ house or whatever, we'll find someplace else. Someplace where you'll be happy.

"Secondly," he continued, "the things Snow forced you to do don't bother me. I love you, that's never gonna change. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before we went further. I'm sorry you felt like I was pushing you away."

Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered, her breath hot against his ear.

With his arms around her waist, he stood back up. "Then let's go to bed."


	3. Chapter 3

I think I'm gonna do little one shot type chapters for this story until I run out of ideas. It's been a little while since I've posted one, so hopefully there's still interest!

* * *

Her mother refused to look at her.

Katniss had gone from Tribute to Capitol call girl to teenage bride in less than a year, and Mrs. Everdeen found herself unable, or unwilling, to approve of any of it. Despite being given a lavish home in the Victor's Village after she'd won the 74th Hunger Games, none from the Everdeen clan ever lived there. Her mother and Prim stayed at their home in the Seam while she lived in the Capitol.

Soon after they married, Peeta suggested they find a place that would be theirs, and so they moved into the untouched house. As the weeks passed, he convinced her to leave the house more and more. They would walk through the Victor's Village, picnic in the Meadow, and eventually, Peeta managed to take her into town.

"Nothing's changed," he stated as they walked hand in hand toward the Hob.

But Katniss didn't see it that way. It was clear Peeta missed the looks of disdain shot her way and the piteous glances he received. Some whispered behind their hands and mothers led their children away from the couple. "You really believe that, don't you?" she retorted as they entered the empty bakery.

He shrugged as he led her to the kitchen where his father was busy working. "Hey, Pop," he greeted the older man, letting go of his wife's hand to hug him. Mr. Mellark dusted off the flour on his hands and returned his son's hug before moving on to Katniss.

She liked her father-in-law. Like Peeta, he cared little about the life she'd been forced into. He didn't judge with words or looks, and he always had a smile and a bag of cookies for her. Oftentimes, she saved them for Prim when she came to visit after school. Their mother had forbidden her youngest daughter to visit, but Prim was hellbent on defying her.

"When's my girl gonna start hunting again?" Mr. Mellark asked, keeping an arm around her shoulder.

Katniss brushed off the streak of flour from his cheek and smiled. "I've been thinking about starting up again," she replied. "At least it'll keep me busy."

"And the district well fed," he added as he handed her an apple pastry. "Now eat. The two of you are getting far too thin for a father's liking."

The bell above the front door jingled and Mr. Mellark excused himself to help the customer. Peeta hopped up on the counter and grabbed a similar dessert, eating it in only a few bites. She stood close enough that he was able to wrap his legs around her and pull her close to him. "I think he likes you better," he teased, pressing his lips to hers.

"At least you have a parent left who'll look you in the eye," she muttered, pulling away from him. "My mother wants nothing to do with me. Prim says she sends her to bed without supper for visiting me."

Peeta shook his head in disgust. "I don't understand it," he replied. "What did you tell her before you left?"

That she was in love with the Capitol from the first visit. That the money was too good to pass up. That she couldn't return to a life in District 12 after experiencing the glamour and grandeur that life in the Capitol offered. "Lies," she said sadly. Her cupped her face between his hands, his eyes gazing questioningly upon her. "I couldn't let on that I'd incited riots in the other districts. And I...it's my job to protect them, right? I was afraid of what he might do if I didn't agree."

"But why not tell her the truth?" he wondered, his tone far from judgmental.

Katniss shrugged. "At the time it seemed easier to lie," she said. "I didn't want her or Prim to be afraid."

"Would you talk to her?" he asked. "Explain what really happened. I haven't heard much about uprisings in the Districts, so I don't think it's something you need to worry about anymore."

"Come with me?" she asked.

The house was just as she remembered it. A fine layer of coal dust covered the floors, windows, and siding. Delicate lace curtains from her mother's life as a merchant's daughter hung in the front windows. Katniss pushed the front door open, hoping some sign of life would reveal itself. But when her mother appeared from the small kitchen, she wished Peeta had never suggested the visit.

"Out," her mother said forcefully.

"But-" Katniss started.

"I said out," Mrs. Everdeen stated, pointing to the open door. "I won't allow Capitol trash in my home. And stay away from my daughter."

With a furrowed brow, Peeta glanced at his wife, wondering if her mother was referring to him. Head held high, Katniss stepped in front of him. "I'm your daughter too," she spoke, her voice clear and calm.

The blonde head shook. "Not anymore."

The message had been received loud and clear, and Katniss turned on her heel and left. But Peeta remained behind. At first, he stared out to the Seam, watching as Katniss ran for the Victor's Village. When she was out of sight, he turned back to his mother-in-law and watched as she dusted a picture frame.

"Ya know, I've never known anyone who's as strong as Katniss," he said, leaning against the door frame. "I remember when we were reaped, my mother said 'She's a survivor. That girl's gonna win.' And she's done what she needs to survive because, in her mind, her survival is equivalent to yours and Prim's. She'll always do whatever she has to do to protect the people she loves."

Mrs. Everdeen dropped her dust rag and turned to face the blond haired boy. "So, what are you telling me?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What she's done and the reasons she gave you for doing them-," he stopped, not sure that what he said would help Katniss's case. Taking a deep breath, he started again. "Did you know Snow wanted me, not her?"

Wordlessly, she shook her head and moved to the threadbare sofa. Despite Katniss's winnings, it seemed her mother had refused any of the money. "Did my daughter lie to me?" she asked, the angry fire gone as she spoke.

"She's not the first Victor that he's done this to," Peeta told her. "There were some who refused to be sold, and he killed their entire family. I was the one he wanted first, but she took my place. I didn't even know about that until I brought her back here. The point I hope I'm making is she loves you and Prim, and would do anything for the two of you. Hell, she went into the Arena in her sister's place. Katniss will always feel responsible for the safety of this family. Don't shut her out for doing what she felt she needed to do to ensure that."

Having said his piece, he pushed away from the door and made to leave. "Wait," she said. "Is she all...does she need to be checked?"

He shook his head. "We had that taken care of before we left the Capitol," he informed her. "She doesn't need a healer though. What she needs more than anything is to know that her mother doesn't hate her."

Mrs. Everdeen nodded. "I just need time."


	4. Chapter 4

Okay folks, so I'm in need of a distraction. My mom spoke with the vet about our cat today, and she won't tell me what was said. I asked if it was good, she said no. I asked if it was bad, she said we'll talk later. Sometimes I think she doesn't know me at all.

* * *

Haymitch understood.

He was drunk. He was smelly. He was hostile. But Haymitch understood.

On the days Peeta went to the bakery, Katniss divided her time between hunting in illegal woods and visiting their former mentor. He was hardly lucid, but she continued to go daily. He would drink, she would attempt to straighten up, he would tell her to leave until eventually she did.

Then, one day, the routine changed.

When she arrived at his house, letting herself in through the front door without bothering to knock, Haymitch stood by the living room windows. "Coming down awfully hard out there," he commented, staring at the falling snow. "I guess it's safe to assume there's no fresh game for dinner tonight."

"Would you have eaten if I cooked something?" she asked, not quite believing him when he nodded his head. "Anyhow, the fence was on, so I came back."

The older man nodded. "Heard you fell out of a tree trying to get back over that electrified fence," he mused. "Also heard the boy brought you to your mother. Things fixed between the two of you yet?"

She winced when she put too much pressure on her sore ankle as she moved further into the messy house. "No, but she's coming around," she replied.

He turned away from the window and cleared off a chair for her to sit. Then, he gave the sofa the same treatment and sat down. Awkward silence pervaded the room, which smelled of stale liquor and body odor. "You and the boy doing okay?" he asked when he could no longer take the quiet.

"The Quarter Quell is coming up," she said in lieu of an answer. "We're gonna have to mentor, aren't we?"

Haymitch nodded, stringy blond hair draped over his face that he didn't bother to move. "Yep, which means going back to the Capitol," he replied.

She closed her eyes and could feel her body begin to shake. "What if I can't?" she wondered, staring at the front door so he couldn't see her ashen face or the tears that welled in her eyes.

"I was a lot like you as a Tribute," Haymitch told her, sighing as he recalled a lifetime ago. "In the Arena, all I thought about was getting back home. I was desperate to see my family again. Like yours, my win angered the Capitol because I showed them up, used their flaw to my advantage. Unlike you, I wasn't given a chance to protect my family. Weeks after I came home, my mother, my brother, and my girl were dead. I don't blame you for taking that deal. If I'd known what would happen to the people I loved, I'd probably take it too."

"How did you go back?" she wondered, attempting and failing to force back her tears.

He shrugged and held up a bottle of white liquor. "It was in a rare moment of sobriety that I remembered it would be my job to save the lives of the Tributes who came after me," he replied. "The first year, the 51st Games, one was killed in the bloodbath and the other died of starvation when I couldn't figure out how to convince sponsors to send her food. I spent 22 years watching children die, feeling helpless that I couldn't save them.

"And then the two of you came along. I know I gave you both a hard time, and I know Peeta thinks I didn't care about him enough to save him. His alliance with the Careers kept him alive until you were able to find him."

"He was dying when I found him," she interjected, suddenly filled with anger as she recalled the deep gash, the fever, and blood poisoning.

"But you saved him," Haymitch pressed, leaning forward. "Because that's what you do. You save the people you love. To hell with the consequences and sacrifices you're forced to make. You do it to protect them."

She didn't care now that the tears fell. It didn't bother her that she might look weak. Haymitch's words made her feel loved in a way entirely different than Peeta's love. It was a parental kind of love, one she hadn't felt since her father died. Without giving it a thought, Katniss rose from her chair and embraced her old mentor, wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could. "Thank you," she whispered before pressing a gentle kiss to his stubbled cheek.

"If anyone can handle going back to the Capitol, it's you, sweetheart," he assured her. "And this time you'll have Peeta and me there."

A smile, tentative though it was, quirked up the corners of her lips. Haymitch was right. Going back to the Capitol this time meant having a support system. She would go back with a husband who loved her and mentor who would protect and support her. It would be difficult to return to the place where her nightmares had begun, but she wouldn't be alone.

"Will you come for dinner tonight?" she asked, returning to her chair and bit of normalcy.

"Depends," he replied. "Who's cooking?"

A small laugh bubbled up in her throat as she considered his question. While she was skilled with a bow and arrow and could skin and clean anything she caught, her abilities in the kitchen were still lacking. And while Peeta was a master baker, he often had trouble cooking anything that didn't require flour, sugar, and a hint of vanilla. "I'll ask Greasy Sae to come by," she decided. The old woman was often found in the Hob, and had bought her kills weekly. She fed customers, sellers, and Peacekeepers alike with her tasty concoctions. And she was one of the few people, Merchant or Seam, who continued to look her in the eye.

"Six o'clock okay?" he asked.

Katniss rose from her seat and crossed to the door. "We'll see you then," she replied before she left.

When she returned home, Peeta was waiting with lunch already on the table. She smiled, kissed him tenderly, and thanked him for the spread. Breads, pastries, and jams, along with a pitcher of fresh milk, were set out and ready to be consumed. Taking a seat beside him, she took a roll, buttered it, and began to eat while holding his hand. He asked about her day, and she about his. Gone were the awkward, stilted conversations they had shared when they first married. She was happy to feel him touch her, even if it was a mere brushing of fingers. It was still her Peeta. He had helped to heal her, helped her to see that she was more than Capitol property.

As Peeta finished his lunch, he let go of her hand and took his plate to the sink. She mimicked his actions, and now standing beside him, she placed her hand on his arm. "I love you," she told him, kissing him before he could reply.

Long after Katniss had gone to bed, Peeta left the house as quietly as he could. She had always teased him for his heavy gait, but his loud plodding hadn't seemed to rouse her. He breathed a sigh of relief when the front door closed. Looking up at the house, the lights remained off in their bedroom. The house across from theirs was a different story though.

The first floor was brightly lit, and he knew Haymitch would still be awake though likely intoxicated. He'd had dinner with the couple, and while his trusty bottle was on hand, he hardly drank from it. Perhaps it was a sign of turning tides. With two living Victors to his name, maybe it was possible that some of Haymitch's demons had been laid to rest.

He entered the house to find Haymitch seated on his dirty sofa. His eyes were glazed over, but not from the alcohol. The shutting of the door snapped him from his stupor, and he turned to find he now had company. "You and the missus get in a fight?" he inquired.

Taking a seat in the only clean chair in the room, Peeta glared tiredly and shook his head. "She told me she talked to you earlier today," he said. The older man nodded his confirmation. "She seemed really happy when she came home."

"Glad to hear it." Peeta nodded uneasily. "I didn't get her drunk, if that's what you're worried about," Haymitch added.

"I know. She didn't smell like you when she got back," came the blond's retort. "No, it's just...she's been different since she came home."

His mentor sat up straighter. "You mean came home from my house or from the Capitol?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow.

And suddenly Peeta felt stupid for bringing it up. "The Capitol," he mumbled, covering his mouth as he spoke the words.

Haymitch nearly howled. "You honestly think you're getting back the same girl after what she's been through?" he asked disbelievingly. "First, they toss her into a 'game' designed to kill her. Then, they prostitute her, forcing her to do only God knows what. That girl is more broken than either of us, and I personally think she's handling it well."

Elbows resting on his thighs, Peeta's hands roughly rubbed his face. "I understand that," he replied. "I know what happened to her, I know what she's been through, and I'll never love her any less because of it. I just sometimes miss the old Katniss. The one who'd threaten to shoot me for touching her bow, or assess everything I said with that calculating, suspicious look. Don't get me wrong, I like not being threatened, but I liked it better when she had a little fire in her."

"It'll come back," Haymitch promised. "Just give her time. She's still adjusting."

Sighing, Peeta rose. "I hope you're right."


	5. Chapter 5

Gale had been conspicuously absent since her return to District 12. Prim had told her that he got a job in the mines, working twelve hour shifts six days a week. But, Rory had promised her, he was free on Sundays. "I want to see Gale today," Katniss announced as she and Peeta laid in bed as the sun came up.

He tightened his hold on her. There had been a lingering jealousy when they returned to District 12 following the Games. When he had learned that she had pretended to be as in love with him as he was with her, he had been sure it was because she had Gale Hawthorne waiting at home. But then she left for the Capitol, and he hadn't had the opportunity to give it another thought.

Katniss sat up and his arms slid down to her waist. "What's wrong?" she asked, smoothing back the blond locks that fell across his forehead.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

She sat up straighter. "It's not nothing," she retorted. "Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

Rolling onto his side, he looked up at her and sighed. "I worry, okay?"

"That I'll do something?" she asked.

He sat up quickly. "God, Katniss, no. That never even crossed my mind," he stated. "But him...I don't know. I worry that he'll try something. You were forced to marry me, but what if you'd had a choice? I'm scared that you'll figure out that you'd rather be with him."

"Hey," she said softly, rubbing her knuckles along the fine, blond stubble of his jaw. "Gale's not someone I've ever thought about like that. He was a good hunting partner, and he took care of my family when we were in the Arena. But beyond friendship, I have no other feelings for him."

His head turned to kiss the bit of her palm that his lips could reach before turning a wry smile on her. "He's better looking," Peeta stated.

Katniss balked. "He could be my brother," she replied, scrunching her face in disgust. Peeta laughed and laid back down, pulling her down beside him. When she was nestled in her husband's arms, she kissed him and smiled. "I remember when I was little, maybe five or six, I told my father I was going to marry the first boy I kissed. He asked me what I would do if I didn't love him, and I told him I'd never kiss anyone I didn't love."

"I was your first kiss?" he asked, awed by that confession.

"And I want you to be my last."

Gale waited in the meadow, ankle deep in snow. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and his tall frame shook slightly with the blustery wind. Katniss approached, snow crunching beneath boots Cinna had specially made for her. Gale turned, shaking the snow from his shoe. Tall and lean with Seam gray eyes, dark hair, and olive skin, she was exactly as she remembered him. The last time they had spoken was the day after she returned home from the Games. He had begged her to run off with him, but she refused to leave behind her mother, sister, Peeta and his family, and Haymitch. Then she went back to the Capitol, and they never spoke again.

"Hi," she said nervously as she approached him. Gale's eyebrows merely rose in response as he assessed her and the fine clothes she wore. "Um, thanks for meeting me. We could have done it someplace less...cold though."

"I don't mind the cold," he answered brusquely. "How long have you been back?"

"A couple of months," she replied. Gale gave her a curt nod and turned his back on her. "Are you even going to ask me how I'm doing? What I've gone through? Or do you want to know what it's like to be 17 and forced to marry someone because it was either that or remain a prostitute? Do you care about what's happened to me at all, Gale?"

Turning, he slowly approached her. Katniss shuddered; it reminded her of the way he approached his prey. The thought of backing away didn't occur to her until it was too late. He was upon her in a few short strides, gripping her shoulders tightly to prevent her from fleeing.

"You don't love him?" he asked, gray eyes boring in her own.

"I didn't say that," she murmured. He squeezed her shoulders, and so she added, "I do love him."

He let go of her then and turned his back on her. "Ya know, it's crazy, but I thought you and I would be together one day," he said softly. "We should have run off before the Reaping. We could have left when you came home."

"No, we couldn't," she replied. "You know better than anyone the type of responsibility we had here. I wasn't going to leave my family here to fend for themselves, and there's no way they could have come with us. It would have been wrong to run off."

"We could have made it work," he grumbled. "You didn't have to resort to...that."

Katniss moved around to stand in front of him and levelled him with a dangerous glare. "Do you know what the Capitol is capable of? Do you have any idea at all?" she asked angrily. "They wouldn't have stopped at killing my family. They would have gone after you and your brothers, Posy and your mother. They would have killed Peeta and his family because we were the star-crossed lovers. And after all of that, they would have let me live. Force me to live with the reminder that I screwed up when I pulled out those berries. Remind me that no one defies the Capitol."

"What do you want me to say, Katniss?" Gale asked tiredly.

"That we're still friends," she cried, fighting back her tears. "That I haven't lost you too! God, Gale, I'll take anything right now."

He placed a freezing hand on her already cold cheek. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It didn't take much to push him away, and the look of disgust she wore let him know plainly that he'd made the wrong move. "Sorry," he mumbled, looking down at his snow covered boots.

"Sorry?" she demanded. "I tell you I love Peeta, then you kiss me, and all you can say is sorry?"

Gale shrugged. "I wanted you to know that you have a choice," he replied. "Like you said, you were forced to marry him. The whole 'I love him' act could just be for the Capitol. I just wanted you to know that I'm still here. That I love you. That I want to be with you."

Katniss shook her head and slowly moved toward the edge of the meadow. "I love Peeta," she stated. "I married him, and I'm not gonna leave him. And do you want to know why? Because since I came home, he's been there. He's helped me through the nightmares. He's held me when I cried. He's the one who tells me everyday that he loves me. Where have you been in the last three months?"

Without allowing him the opportunity to respond, she turned and ran through the ankle deep snow. It wasn't long before she reached town and the Mellark family bakery. After tapping each boot against the door frame, she entered the kitchen and walked straight into Peeta's arms.

"How'd it go?" he asked softly, trying and failing to keep the flour on his hands out of her hair.

Sighing, she told him, "You were right."


	6. Chapter 6

It hadn't been enough.

Months of selling her body to Capitol patrons and another few months of a marriage she hadn't wanted weren't enough. Snow still wasn't convinced. He wanted more. And it was a more Katniss wasn't willing to give. After all she had been through, all that was still to come, she refused to bring children into the world. She couldn't bear the thought of her own child's name one day being placed in the Reaping ball. The name Mellark would never again be drawn for the slaughter.

But there was nothing more they could do to appease the dictator who governed the country.

_Do you think the house is bugged?_ she wrote on a small scrap of paper before sliding it across the table to her husband.

Peeta read it carefully, looked up, and nodded his head. "The Quarter Quell announcement is being made today," he said casually as he continued to eat his breakfast.

"I wonder what kind of twist it'll have this time," she added.

He drained the rest of his coffee and shrugged. "Who knows," he replied. "At least we'll be able to help Haymitch this time though. I can't imagine doing all that sponsor work alone."

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

"A bit," he conceded. "I'm not sure how to help someone survive the Arena when I was barely able to. We weren't both supposed to win anyhow."

Extending her arm across the table, she took hold of his hand and give it a comforting squeeze. "Yeah, but we did," she replied, finding the thought to be bittersweet. "Haymitch kept us alive, and now it's our turn to do that for someone else."

"Maybe I could just talk to sponsors. Leave the survival advice to you and Haymitch," he suggested. Letting go of her hand, he began to clear away the breakfast plates. "Will you be okay going back?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, joining him at the sink. "It was easier to forget about having to go until now."

Peeta kissed her forehead. "I won't leave your side," he vowed. "Not even for a minute. You won't be able to shake me until we get home."

Her arms wrapped around his torso. "Thank you."

"Where's the boy?" Haymitch asked when she arrived at his house.

"He's at the bakery," she replied, pushing aside some newspaper to claim her usual seat.

"I hear your mother-in-law has been making herself scarce there ever since the two of you came home," he stated, eyeing her to gauge her reaction.

But she had none to offer. Mrs. Mellark had had nothing to do with her son since he returned from the Arena. When he was presented with the key to his house in the Victor's Village, he had asked his parents and brothers to move in with him. It was she who said no for the entire lot. Then he had married Katniss, and his mother cut him off completely.

"He usually comes home if she's in the shop," she replied. "It's just easier to not be around her. She's an awful woman anyway. She still hits his older brothers, ya know. I'd never hit my kids."

An eyebrow rose. "Changing your mind, sweetheart?" Haymitch inquired. "The boy will be thrilled to hear that."

Katniss glared. "Stop calling him that," she muttered. "And no, I haven't changed my mind about having children. I just know that if we ever do, I'd never hit them. My parents never hit Prim or me, and I know Peeta would never do that to his own kids. I see the way he flinches sometimes when I raise my arm, even just to pat him on the shoulder. It's like he's always expecting it."

"So, why bother going there everyday?" Haymitch wondered, knocking back a bottle of white liquor. "If he's that afraid-"

"He'd never see his father if he didn't," she interrupted. "Because for as horrible as his mother is to him and as much as his brothers tease him, his father still loves him. He's the only piece of his family he wants to hold onto."

Rolling his eyes, Haymitch got to his feet and scoffed. "Family's overrated, sweetheart," he replied, his words beginning to slur. "You and I both know that. The only people we can depend on are ourselves. Everyone else can just - poof - disappear."

Shaking her head in disgust, Katniss got up to leave. But before she could reach the door, the television turned itself on and the anthem of Panem boomed in the silent house. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. This was it. The announcement would be made in only a few short seconds.

President Snow appeared on the screen, turning her blood cold. His lips, puffy from too many cosmetic enhancements, moved. But what was he saying? Hands gripped her shoulders, steadying her, leading her back to her chair. She caught only a few words here and there - "reminder", "rebellion", "twice as many tributes". Then a box was presented to him, and Snow pulled out an envelope Katniss was sure had once been white.

"-Reaped from their existing pool of victors," Snow finished.

Haymitch turned off the TV set and sat down on the sofa, head in hands. In a daze, she rose from the chair and walked toward the door. If Haymitch noticed her leaving, he said nothing. Or perhaps he had and she hadn't noticed. Once her feet hit the dirt road outside of his house, she took off running toward the town. The quicker she ran, the faster her tears fell. She was going back to the Capitol, but not as a mentor. She would be a Tribute again. It hadn't been enough.

The front door to the bakery was open as a woman corralled her two small children to leave. Katniss pushed past, knocking into the woman's shoulder, but unable to care about anything but the announcement. The mother frowned and muttered something about rudeness under her breath. Katniss didn't care. She ran past the front counter, ignoring her brother-in-law's greeting, and pushed open the kitchen door.

Peeta stared at the blank television screen with tears in his eyes. He turned when the door opened and Katniss launched herself at him. "I'm sorry," she murmured through her tears. "I'm so sorry."

Peeta sniffled. "For what?" he wondered, holding her as tightly as he could.

"It's my fault," she continued.

He pulled back, eyes wide, and his hands cupped her cheeks. "This, none of this, is your fault," he stated sternly.

"If I hadn't pulled out those berries, if I'd done a better job being your wife, none of this would have happened," she replied angrily. "I wouldn't be going back in. And it won't just be me. It'll be you or Haymitch. I don't want it to be either of you."

He sighed. "I don't believe that you're responsible for the Quell, and I don't want you thinking that way either," he said.

"Don't volunteer," she implored. "Please just don't volunteer if you're not picked."

"Katniss," he murmured.

"Just say you won't," she interrupted, hysteria rich in her voice. "Even if it's a lie, just tell me you won't do it."

Sighing, his pressed his lips to hers. "I won't volunteer."


	7. Chapter 7

I have one more post after this, and then the story will be done. This time I mean it!

* * *

Peeta was gone.

And so was Katniss.

Both had managed to survive their second trip to the Arena. The force field, which had ended Peeta's life briefly, had also been their means to an escape. But it was their rescuers who differed. While Katniss was picked up by the rebels and taken to District 13, Peeta had been captured by the Capitol. For weeks, she was forced to endure broadcasts that featured Caesar Flickerman playing interviewer to her husband. Peeta looked frail and tired, and layers of makeup were applied to cover what she was sure were bruises.

Then he was brought back to Thirteen, back to her.

But Peeta was gone.

Holed up in a supply closet where no one would find her, Katniss touched the still painful bruises on her throat. Had she looked in a mirror, she would have seen her husband's fingerprints marring her flesh. Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, co-mingling with the old. It was that sound that alerted Haymitch to her presence.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said softly, joining her on the floor. She looked down at the drab gray uniform that all of District 13 wore. Her gaze was trained on her knees, which were pulled up to her chest. "He'll be okay," her former mentor continued, resting his hand on her arm.

Her eyes, hard and cold and full of anger, snapped up to meet his. "What makes you so sure of that?" she demanded. "You can't possibly know that he'll be okay, or that I'll be okay, or that things can ever go back to the way they were between us. They won't. They _can't_. Not after what the Capitol's done to him."

"They can get better though," he insisted. "It might not be the same, but he's got you to help him through whatever it is they've done to him."

Katniss scoffed. "Did you not hear what he said to me? Can you see the bruises from when he strangled me?" she inquired. "He wants me dead. Thinks I'm a mutt he has to kill before I kill him. Whatever they've done, they've brainwashed him into thinking I'm his enemy. I love him and he hates me. He was all I had left, and now he's gone too."

Haymitch shifted until he sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "He's not the only person you have," he stated. "Your sister loves you unconditionally. Gale would risk his life for you. And...and you're not getting rid of me that easily. You've lost a lot, but you've still got people who love you."

She leaned her head against his shoulder as silent tears continued to fall. "I hate it here," she admitted. "I feel like I'm back in the Capitol - being told what to wear and when to do things." What she didn't include was the similar feeling that Peeta would never be able to love her again.

"It won't be forever," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I promise you, it won't."

Katniss entered the hospital wing with Prim and Haymitch by her side. Peeta had asked to speak with her, and despite their previous encounter, Katniss jumped at the chance to see him again. When they reached his bed, a bed his wrists and ankles were strapped to, he glared at her accompanying party. "No, just her," he said through gritted teeth. She nodded her head, letting them know with that small gesture that she would be alright. When they left, she sat on the side of his bed and tentatively touched his fingertips. "I did that?" he asked, looking at her neck.

Katniss winced, but nodded. "Why did you want to see me?" she wondered.

"They...the doctors here told me I was hijacked by the Capitol," he told her, his voice devoid of emotion. "Think that's true?"

"I've seen firsthand what they're capable of," she replied, staring down at his restrained hand. "And I've seen firsthand what you're capable of. You'd never hurt anyone unless you had no other choice. So, yes, I do think it's true."

Peeta nodded and curled his fingers into a fist so tightly his knuckles whitened. "I loved you. Real or not real?" he asked.

A lump formed in her throat. "Real," she replied, forcing her words to sound strong.

"District 12 is gone. Real or not real?"

Again she replied, "Real."

Peeta stretched out his fingers. "My family is dead."

"Real."

"You killed them." His blue eyes darkened as he spoke, and she slowly began to inch away.

Had she killed them? It was her arrow that destroyed the force field around the Arena. That arrow prompted the bombing of District 12, or so she had been told. Perhaps she had killed them without knowing it. "Real or not real?" he demanded, snapping her from her thoughts.

"I don't know," she whispered, choking back a sob. "I didn't kill them,not directly."

"But that arrow..." he started, and she finished his thought with a nod. His head shook, as if to clear his vision. "I told the world you were pregnant."

Katniss chuckled. "Yeah, you did," she replied, the beginnings of a smile on her lips. But, just as quickly as it appeared, it fell. "Snow knew it was a lie. I can't get pregnant after what they gave me. At least I don't think I can. Not for awhile."

His fingers stretched towards hers, and he noticed the ring she wore on her left hand. Looking down at his own hand, his finger was bare. "Where's mine?" he asked, the panic building in his voice. "We're married, real or not real?"

"Real."

"Then where's my ring?" he demanded, fisting the sheets beneath him. "They took it! I want it back! Give it back."

She moved until she could steady his head in her hands. "We'll get it back," she promised. "Peeta, I swear, we'll get it back."

He continued to thrash about, ignoring her words and blocking her out by squeezing his eyes shut. He still when she stopped talking, and opened his eyes. "You're a whore, a mutt," he said, his voice low and deadly. "If they didn't have me strapped to this damn bed, I'd kill you myself."

Her hands fell from his face as if they were on fire, and she quickly backed away from the bed. She ran as he continued to yell after her that she was a mutt, that he would kill her, that he wanted nothing more than to see her dead. She had just reached the doors when Haymitch pressed his forearm against Peeta's throat, cutting off his air supply. "Talk to her like that again, and I'll kill you myself," he threatened.

Gale waited outside of the hospital and gathered her in his arms when she burst through the doors. "Let go of me!" she shouted, pushing against his chest and failing miserably to untangle herself from his arms. After a few, well-aimed hits to his stomach, Gale complied but held her by the shoulders. "I'll kill him," he said through clenched teeth.

"Who? Peeta?" he wondered, staring through the window at the blond who was now sedated.

She wriggled out of his grasp. "No, Snow," she stated, his name said venomously. "I'll kill him for what he's done."


	8. Chapter 8

This is the last chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading and liking and reviewing. I just wanted to address two reviews I got for the last chapter. First - yes, they consummated their marriage back in chapter 2. Second - my reason for the gap between the last chapter and the previous one (chapters 6 and 7 I believe) is because we all know what happened during the Quarter Quell. I wanted the story to play out as if nothing they did could actually change anything.

* * *

The war was over, but the scars would never disappear. With time they may fade, but Katniss Mellark would forever wear them. Sitting alone in the back of her closet, she closed her eyes and pictured the faces of those she had lost. Rue during her first Games, Wiress during the second, Boggs and Mitchell and Jackson. Finnick Odair, who had become something of a companion during her time in the Capitol, was dead. A newlywed, finally happy and with a baby on the way that he would never meet, died to protect her.

Then there was Prim. Sweet, selfless, wonderful Prim. Her life had been cut short when the rebellion bombed Capitol children. _Children_. They were only children. And Prim was among them, fighting through crowds to help the wounded. In a single second, in a flash of fire, she was gone.

The scars on her body reminded her of Prim, how she had fought her way through the city to reach her little sister, the only family she had left. But she was too late. Too late to reach her, to save her, to say 'I'm sorry' or 'I love you' one last time. Grief and anger became her primary emotions, and they had led to the assassination of the wrong president. But had it been all that wrong? Wasn't Coin just as corrupt as Snow? She had proposed a new version of the Hunger Games featuring children of the Capitol, and though Katniss had voted in favor of it, it didn't make Coin any better than Snow.

She turned the simple silver ring around in her hand. Before the execution, she had demanded Snow give it to her. It belonged to Peeta, and it would be returned to him. If _he_ ever returned. Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he no longer wanted a wife, one who was suicidal, one who killed without thinking. Perhaps he wouldn't be allowed to return to District 12. Only she and Haymitch, as a guard, had been sent back.

Tears stung her eyes as she closed her fist around his wedding ring. They were married in the Capitol with Snow presiding over the small ceremony. They never had their toasting. A piece of paper, tucked safely away in a desk drawer, legitimized their marriage in the eyes of all but District 12's tradition. She wanted her toasting, wanted her Boy with the Bread, wanted her husband.

Noise comes from the first floor, but she doesn't move. It's Haymitch, she assumed. If he needed her, he would find her. She wouldn't go to him, wouldn't go to anyone. The footsteps could be heard on the stairs, and as they neared the bedroom, her heart beat faster. But as quickly as they approached, they left. It wasn't until the intruder was downstairs that she left the sanctuary of her closet. When she emerged, a simple dandelion on Peeta's nightstand greeted her.

It might have been too good to be true to hope that it was Peeta who left the flower, but she needed to find out. There, seated on the sofa, was her husband. He nervously twisted his hands in his lap, but when he looked up at her, his eyes were a crystal clear blue. She felt her lower lip begin to tremble and she ran to him as he stood. "You're back," she whispered, chanting the words repeatedly as she clung to him.

"They wouldn't let me come back until now," he replied, tightening his hold on her. "Are you okay? I mean, you've been here alone for two weeks, and I'm sure Haymitch has been drunk for the entirety of it. Have you eaten? Slept? Showered?"

"I missed you," she murmured, ignoring his questions.

"It's over," he promised, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's over, and we never have to go back there again."

Tears wet his shirt. "I thought I'd never see you again," she sobbed. "They took you and hurt you and turned you against me."

"I'm here now." His words were meant to be reassuring, but did nothing to calm her. "I'm never leaving you again. I'm yours for as long as you'll have me."

Sniffling, she looked up into blue eyes. There was no sign of the tracker jacker venom to obscure them, venom that dyed them the darkest shade of black. "Will you do something for me?" she asked.

"Anything," he replied, drying her cheek.

One hand let go of his shirt and took the hand that cradled her cheek. She led him to the kitchen and found a small hunk of bread in the icebox. "We never had our toasting," she said. "I want to do it now."

"Let's wait until tomorrow when I can make it fresh," he suggested, taking the frozen bread from her hand.

Katniss shook her head and held tighter to it. "No, now," she pleaded. "While you're still..."

He winced at her unspoken words, and gave in. "Okay," he agreed. "We'll do it now."

Peeta started a soft fire and placed the bread over it. The couple sat quietly on the floor, watching as the small loaf toasted in the open flame. Katniss reached for his hand and scooted closer so his arms would wrap around her. When the bread was done, Peeta removed it and broke it into two pieces, handing one to her. They linked arms, and Katniss was the first to speak.

"I love you," she murmured softly. "I always thought it was my job to protect everyone around me, to keep them safe. And I did that, at least as well as I could. Then you showed up. I wanted to hate you because I didn't think I needed someone to help me, but I couldn't do it. You saved my life that day you tossed those loaves of bread to me, and you've saved it countless more times since then. I don't know where I'd be without you, and I don't want to find out. The day you took me away from the Capitol I knew I'd belong to you forever."

He held his piece of bread to her lips and she took a small bite. "I think maybe, sometimes, I'm a bit selfish," he stated as she chewed. "I've wanted to be with you since I was five. I would have done anything to get you to notice me. I hated the idea of anyone else looking at you or touching you, especially if it meant I couldn't. Buying your freedom meant getting you back. I would have given everything I had just to have you back here with me."

Katniss held the bread out to him. "You're not selfish," she murmured, slipping his wedding ring back onto his finger. "You love me. Real or not real?"

Peeta smiled as he swallowed his bread. "Real," he replied, kissing her. "Definitely real."


End file.
